The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-07-15

see him looking up into tho face Of his ex.
ecutioner, and, as the grim official draws
the sword, Paul calmly says; ~ am now
ready to be offered, and the time Of
my departure Is ut hand" But ] mt
my hand over my eyes want not TO see
that last struggle. One sharp, keen
stroke, and Paul does 60 tO the banquet,
and Paul does dine with the King.
What transition 1t was! From the
malaria Of Rome to the finest climate in
all the universe-the zone of eternal
beauty and health His ashes were put
In the catacombs of Rome, but In one
moment the air of heaven bathed from
his soul the last ache. From shipwreck,
from dungeon, from the biting pain Of the
elm wood rods, from the sharp sword OF
the headsman, he goes into the most bril-
liant assemblage Of heaven, a king among
kings, multitudes Of the sainthood rushing
out and stretching forth hands Of well
come; for do really think that as on the
right hand of God is Christ, 80 on the
right hand of Christ is Paul, the second
great In heaven.
He changed kings likewise. Before the
hour of death and up to tho last moment
he was under Nero, the thick necked, the
cruel eyed, the filthy Tipped; the sculptured
features Of that man bringing down
to us to this very day the horrible
possibilities of his nature-seated as he
was amidst pictured marbles Of Egypt,
under roof adorned with mother OF
pearl, in q dining room which by ma
chinery was kept whirling day and night
with most bewitching magnificence; his
horses standing in stalls of solid gold, and
the grounds around his palace lighted at
night by its victims, who had been daubed
with tar and pitch and then set fire to IL
lumine the darkness. That was Paul's
king. But the next moment he goes into
the realm of Him whose reign Is love, and
whose courts are paved with love, and
whose throne is set on pillars Of love, and
whose scepter is adorned with jewels Of
love, and whose palace is lighted with
love, and whose lifetime is an eternity Of
love. When Paul was leaving SO much
on this side the pillar of martyrdom to
gain SO much ON the other side, do you
wonder at the cheerful valedictory of the
text, "The time of my departure is at
hand:"
Now, why cannot all the old people of
this congregation have the same holy glee
as that aged man had? Charles ], when
he was combing his head, found gray
hair, and he sent it to the queen as q
great joke; but old age is really no joke
at all. For the last forty years you have
been dreading that which ought to have
been an exhilaration. You say you most
fear the struggle at the moment the soul
and body part. But millions have en-
dured that moment, and why not we as
well? They got through with it, and SO
can we. Besides this, all medical men
agree in saying that there is probably no
struggle at all at the last moment-not SO
much pain as the prick Of pin, the SEEM
ing signs of distress being altogether in
voluntary. But you say: ut is the uncer-
tainty of the future" Now, child of God,
do not play the infidel. After God has
filled the Bible till 1t can hold no more with
the stories of the good things ahead, bet
ter not talk about uncertainties.
But you say, II cannot bear to think Of
parting from friends here" II you are
old you have more friends in heaven than
here. Just take the census. Take some
large sheet of paper and begin to record
the names of those who have emigrated
to the other shore; the companions of your
school days, your early business associ-
ates, the friends of mid life and those who
more recently went away. Can It be that
they have been gone 60 long You. do pot
care any more about them and y0d do not
want their society Oh, no! There have
been days when you have felt that you
could not endure it another moment away
from their blessed companionship. They
have gone. You say you would not like
to bring them back to this world of
trouble, even II you had the power. 1t
would not do to trust you. God would
not give you resurrection power. Before
tomorrow morning you would be rat
ting at the gates of the cemetery, crying
to the departed: "Come back to the cradle
where you slept! Come back to the hall
where you used to play Come back to
the table where you used to sit" and there
would be great burglary in heaven. No,
no! God will not trust you with resur-
rection power, but he compromises the
matter and says: tsYou cannot bring them
where you are, but you can 60 where they
are'' There are more lovely now than
ever Were they beautiful here they are
more beautiful there.
Beside that, it is more healthy there for
you than here, aged man; better climate
there than these hot summers and cold
winters and late springs; better hearing;
better eye sight; more tonic in the air;
more perfume in the bloom; more sweet
ness in the song. Do you not feel, aged
man, sometimes, as though you would
like to get your arm and foot free? Do
you not feel as though you ike to throw
away spectacles and canes and crutches?
Would you not like to feel the spring and
elasticity and mirth of an eternal boy
hood? When the point at which you start
from this world is old age, and the point
to which you 60 is eternal juvenescence,
aged man, clap your hands at the antici-
patton, and say, in perfect rapture Of
soul: 1.-THE time Of my departure is at
hand'' -ftl Fl
Iremark, again, all those ought to feel